This tutorial shows how to insert placeholder text in Microsoft Word.
[Typewriter sounds]
Hello, my name is Erin.
I’m a technical writer and editor who shares step-by-step software tutorials and writing tips for the real world
on this channel and on my blog at erinwrightwriting.com.
Today’s tutorial shows how to insert placeholder text in Microsoft Word without copying and pasting it from another source.
Placeholder text, which is also called random text or dummy text,
fills space in a document for formatting, design, or layout purposes.
First, we’re going to look at how to create three types of placeholder text.
Random text.
The classic “quick brown fox."
And Lorem ipsum.
Then, we’re going to customize the length of the placeholder text by setting the number of paragraphs and sentences.
I’ll be using Word for Microsoft 365.
These steps also apply to Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, and Word 2010.
However, your interface might look slightly different in those earlier versions of the software.
To begin, place your cursor at the start of a new line.
Placeholder text can’t be inserted into an existing paragraph.
However, it can be placed in another element, such as an empty table cell, column, or text box.
Next, type one of the three placeholder options and then press the Enter key on your keyboard.
We’ll walk through each option individually.
The equal sign and the word "rand," followed by parentheses inserts coherent English text.
The equal sign, the word "rand" and a period followed by the word "old" and parentheses
inserts the sentence “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
Be aware that at the time of this recording,
there is a glitch where the second and subsequent paragraphs are missing a space between sentences.
The equal sign and the word "lorem," followed by parentheses
inserts placeholder text known as Lorem ipsum, which is meant to look like Latin.
Lorem ipsum is commonly used in the publishing industry for design, formatting, and layout purposes.
Please note that the three placeholder methods we just walked through will only work
if your software is set to “Replace text as you type.”
This option is normally turned on by default.
However, if your placeholder text is not appearing,
you can check this setting by selecting the File tab,
Followed by the Options tab in the Backstage view.
Then, select the Proofing tab in the Word Options dialog box.
From there, select the AutoCorrect Options button.
When the AutoCorrect dialog box appears, ensure that Replace text as your type is checked.
Finally, select the OK button to close the AutoCorrect dialog box
And the OK button to close the Word Options dialog box.
You can customize the length of placeholder text inserted in your document
by including the number of paragraphs and sentences inside the parentheses.
For example, if you want five paragraphs of four sentences each,
place a five and four inside the parentheses, separated by a comma.
The first number is the number of paragraphs and the second number is the number of sentences.
You can also indicate just the number of paragraphs by placing one number in the parentheses.
I have created many other videos about Microsoft Word, including “How to Change the Default Font in Microsoft Word,”
and “How to Create Drop Caps in Microsoft Word.”
Please see the complete list in the playlist titled “How to Use Microsoft Word,”
which is linked in the description box below.
The companion blog post for this video showing all the steps we just performed
appears on erinwrightwriting.com, which is also linked below.
Feel free to leave me a comment if there’s a specific topic
related to Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat that you would like me to talk about in the future.
And please subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss future tutorials.
And give this video a thumbs-up if you found it helpful.
Thank you so much for watching!
[Typewriter sounds]